Transit of Venus Viewable in Princeton Tonight

The planet of Venus will glide across the front of the sun tonight, a rare event that will not happen again in this century.

The planet’s passage in front of the sun, known as the “Transit of Venus,” will begin around 6 p.m. and will continue for 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Venus will appear as a little black dot on the surface of the sun. The event is much rarer than a solar eclipse, even though it may not look as impressive.

In order to watch the transit safely, you must wear eclipse glasses or watch it through a telescope that filters the sunlight. Looking straight into the sun without protection can lead to permanent eye damage.

NASA’s website also had a directory of live webcasts where you can check out how the transit appears in various locations across the globe.